Six Days, Seven Nights
by MinDanFan
Summary: When Gwen's husband receives free tickets for four to an all-inclusive resort in Hawaii, Mindy and Danny get the vacation of a lifetime. Is paradise the opportunity to move from friendship to something more? If you read my other stories, that answer should be clear!
1. Chapter 1

**Six Days, Seven Nights**

_Chapter 1:_

Mindy was headed home from the gym on a chilly mid-November morning and answered an ecstatic call from Gwen. Apparently, Gwen's husband was given a gift from a client of a free all-inclusive trip for four to Hawaii. Mindy was shocked and flattered that they were extending an invitation to her. She was Gwen's best friend after all. But she was a little surprised that they hadn't invited another married couple. She thanked Gwen, but expressed some confusion about the fourth ticket. She did not want to be a third wheel on this type of trip but it didn't sound like Gwen had intentions of inviting anyone else. Imagine Mindy's surprise when the next words out of Gwen's mouth were:

"Why don't you bring Danny?"

"Danny. Danny Castellano?"

"Well, obviously, do you know another Danny? You two have become really good friends, haven't you? I mean the guy was your automatic back-up date to your doorman's wedding last month." Mindy smiled recalling Danny's assertion that _of course_ she ended up invited to her doorman's wedding and her response that she couldn't help it that she was such a sociable and awesome person.

"Yes, but when I think island paradise, I don't necessarily think of Danny. I picture him more in like some random European country where they serve smelly cheeses…"

"Everyone likes sun and relaxation. We've decided on an adults-only trip, so Riley will be with her grandparents. And Alex and Maggie can't make it. So that leaves you plus one. Why not invite Danny?"

"Well, he has been really supportive ever since my return from the disastrous Haiti trip."

It was true. Danny had ended up being a real source of support over the past few months. She wasn't entirely surprised because even though he once declared that he hadn't asked for her friendship, he clearly seemed to want it after she returned. They went to lunch almost every day at work and she usually spent at least part of the weekend with him. He had ended things with Christina almost as quickly as they began so they were done by the time she returned to New York after only two weeks (of hell) in Haiti.

"But, I just don't know if I feel entirely comfortable inviting him on this type of vacation. I mean, going to Hawaii with a married couple seems sort-of romantic, doesn't it?"

"Why would that matter? Did _something_ happen with Danny?"

"No! I mean, I don't know to what you could possibly be referring."

Even without seeing her, Mindy envisioned Gwen lifting an eyebrow. Mindy made the mistake months ago of telling her about the weird plane hand-holding. Right now, she was quite grateful that she hadn't mentioned to Gwen the moment in the lounge when Danny cleaned her glasses. She didn't mean to hide it from her, but she had no idea how to explain that situation to herself much less anyone else. Danny obviously never mentioned it when she returned and she wondered if perhaps it was just another example of her mind playing tricks on her during that confusing time period in her life.

"Shut up," Mindy responded to Gwen's silent but definite teasing as she hung up the phone. She wasn't mad, but sometimes she likes to make bold statement by ending her phone conversations with flourish.

It wasn't too weird, right? She could invite Danny on the trip. It would be a nice way to thank him for his support and friendship. She just had to get over herself and not make this awkward.

Looking at her phone, she quickly re-dialed Gwen, who answered immediately.

"Fine, I'll invite him. Do I have to do anything for the arrangements?"

"Nah, I've got it all covered. The flight leaves at 10:30 AM from JFK on Friday, so just bring Danny and luggage. Oh and send me your information and Danny's information so I can book the flights."

"Sounds good. I mean, I still have to ask him, but who would turn down a free trip to Hawaii? It's a light time at the office and Jeremy can cover our patients. I guess they won't give us three rooms for free, huh?" At Gwen's confirmation of this, Mindy asked, "can you just make sure our room has separate beds then?"

"No problem. I'm so glad you're coming!"

"Thanks for the invitation, Gwen. Seriously, this vacation could not come at a better time."

Mindy felt a sense of nervous and excited energy throughout the entire day during her appointments and waiting for Danny to be available as he seemed to have a busy day.

"I have a surprise for you, Danny," Mindy sang as she leaned in Danny's doorway at the end of the day.

"Let me guess? You rented another movie starring…and I used that word loosely…Kate Hudson?"

"Nope, though not a bad idea if you're around tonight. This news is much better. Free trip! To Hawaii! And you're invited!"

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. Oh, that's probably an insensitive joke for a doctor to make."

"How? When?"

"Gwen's husband has a totally awesome client who has connections at an all-inclusive resort and gave him four tickets. We fly out on Friday for a week in tropical paradise!"

"Can we both really leave for a whole week though?"

"I already asked Jeremy. Well, pleaded is probably the better word, but he ultimately caved. I checked and neither of us have patients due for at least another month now and he agreed to cover in case there's an early delivery."

"Wow, you figured this all out, huh?"

"Well, Gwen thought we could both use a vacation."

"Oh, so it was Gwen's idea to invite me?"

Something flashed in Danny's eyes for a brief moment, but Mindy couldn't quite read it. He almost looked hurt, but she couldn't figure out why that would be the case. Did he think she didn't want him to come?

"Yea," she answered slowly. "But I thought it was a great idea…to thank you for being such a good friend the past few months."

Danny smiled as he held her gaze. It was strange because although Mindy had been well aware that Danny Castellano was capable of smiling before she left for Haiti, she felt like she had seen so many more of them since her return. He had a really nice smile…it was almost disarming at times.

Danny cleared his throat as he broke eye contact. "Thanks for inviting me, Min."

Mindy's lips upturned slightly at the nickname. She had teased him the first time that he used it, which seemed to have stopped him from doing it again, but recently, it had slipped from his mouth at least once per week.

"I think this will be a trip to remember," she proclaimed.

"I hope so."


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2:_

Friday came quickly, much to Mindy's excitement. Mindy and Danny took a cab and met Gwen and her husband Carl at the security checkpoint at JFK. After a minor argument between Danny and the TSA about whether Mindy's hummus could really be considered a liquid and thus confiscated, they reached the gate with plenty of time to spare. Carl finalized some work documents on his laptop, Gwen and Mindy chatted, and Danny read on his new Kindle. Before they knew it, it was time to board and they settled easily into to their seats as preparations for take-off occurred.

Mindy shifted a little awkwardly in her seat on the plane. She couldn't help but be reminded of the last time she was on a plane with the man sitting to her right. She partially wished she had accepted Danny's offer of the window seat just so they wouldn't be in the exact same position, but she preferred the aisle seat. She liked being able to get in-and-out of her seat easily and being able to check-out the beverage cart selections before making a decision. She nervously flipped through her People magazine, not really reading or looking at the pictures. In her peripheral vision, she noticed Danny glancing at her from time-to-time. She wondered if he was ruminating on the same memory as her. She wasn't sure why she felt so nervous…after all, they had spent tons of time together since then and everything was normal.

"You OK?"

Mindy was startled by Danny's words. "Oh, sure, I'm fine. Do I not look fine?"

"Well you're gripping the arm rests pretty tightly. Are you nervous?"

"No! Why would I be nervous?"

"I don't know. Sometimes people get nervous to fly."

"Oh, right, of course. I'm fine. I'm sure we won't have too much turbulence."

"Eh, turbulence isn't all that bad," Danny said with a casual wink in her direction.

Though flabbergasted, she couldn't help but assume that this wink was a thinly-veiled reference to what happened during the turbulence on their last flight. Mindy was rarely speechless, but this was one of those times. By the time she recovered from the idea that Danny Castellano might have just been _flirting _with her, he had already turned his attention to Air Mail.

The rest of the 10-hour flight to Honolulu, with a quick layover in Los Angeles, was uneventful. She chatted with Danny about the in-flight entertainment and switched seats on the second flight so she could talk with Gwen. They disembarked in Honolulu and hopped a small plane to the Big Island, finally reaching their destination just in time for a late dinner once they were settled in their rooms. The weather was gorgeous, the views were phenomenal, and even the lobby of the hotel was amazing. Mindy could not believe their luck for a free vacation to this place.

Their room was on a separate floor from Gwen and Carl so they agreed to get settled quickly and head down for a late dinner. Mindy felt a little gross from the plane, but her hunger pangs overruled the need to shower. They were escorted to their room by a young bellhop who insisted on carrying all of their bags.

"And here you are Mr. & Mrs. Castellano."

Mindy was immediately flustered, but Danny nonchalantly alerted him to the mistake. "Yea, not married, kid."

He opened the door to a gorgeous, yet simple room. The furnishings were high-end but the hotel clearly favored a minimalist design aesthetic. Mindy's eyes were immediately drawn to the phenomenal view, but eventually she noticed the single king-sized bed in the room.

"Oh, I think we're in the wrong room. We were supposed to have a room with two beds."

The bellhop apologized for the miscommunication but informed them that there were only a few rooms on-site with two beds and the entire resort was booked for the week anyway.

Mindy tried to maintain a calm exterior while silently hyperventilating on the inside. She hoped Danny didn't think she lured him here under false pretenses, though honestly she wasn't entirely sure he would hate that idea. For all of self-assertions that her mind was just playing tricks on her in the hospital lounge, a part of her still had to admit that it was at least possible that he just might have been considering kissing her at that moment in time. Or maybe not? And it he was intending to kiss her in that moment, it doesn't necessarily mean he would want to kiss her at any other time other than that moment. And sure, she was the one to hold his hand on the plane, but he was the one to grab it back when she began to let go. So, yes, it was entirely possible that Danny had at one time or possibly still has some non-platonic intentions in her direction. Or not? And this was the cycle her brain got caught in every time she considered those two odd moments with Danny, which is why she tended to suppress any thoughts of them at all. She was jarred back into the moment by Danny's words to the bellhop.

"It's fine. Do you have a cot? I can just sleep on that."

"Yes, sir, I will have them send one up right away."

"Thanks so much," Mindy responded. She felt a little bad that Danny would be sleeping on a cot, especially because the bed looked luxuriously comfortable, but things could get really awkward if they had to share a bed. Admittedly, it would probably be more awkward internally for her than actually between them, which made her feel even more selfish.

On his way out of the room, the bell hop gave Mindy a quick once-over before asking Danny if he was sure he wanted a separate bed.

Danny glared intimidatingly at the bellhop. "Watch it, Junior."

"Terribly sorry, sir."

After the door closed, Danny shifted a little nervously.

"Well, that was…"

"Weird," Mindy said finishing his thought. "Though it's good to know I've still got it," she added as she walked toward the floor-length windows with a little bounce in her step.

"The view is amazing here."

"It definitely is," Danny responded. She was taken by an almost wistfulness in his tone of voice and her face colored slightly when she noticed in her peripheral vision that Danny was looking more at her than outside of the hotel room when he made that comment.

Mindy and Danny took turns washing up in the bathroom before rushing downstairs to meet with Gwen and Carl, who were already waiting for them. While Danny and Carl reviewed the menu posted outside of the only sit-down restaurant at the resort that was still open, Mindy took the opportunity to pull Gwen aside.

"Gwen! Are you trying to kill me? You were supposed to call and have them give us a room with two beds.

"Oh, that's right. Gosh, I completely forgot. Can't they figure something out?"

"No, the resort is completely booked!"

"Oh, well, it's OK. I'm sure you and Danny can work out the sleeping arrangements just fine."

Mindy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Gwen was being quite casual and not at all apologetic about this situation. If Mindy didn't know better, she would have thought Gwen had planned this on purpose...


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, loyal readers and reviewers! Did you worry that I vanished? Sorry, it's been busy. Gosh, though, I've learned that you get more reviews when you wait more time between chapters. Hmm...**

Chapter 3:

Mindy awoke naturally, thrilled to not be yanked out of blissful sleep by a screeching alarm. She blinked her eyes open as she remembered her new surroundings. The bed was unbelievably comfortable, literally like sleeping on a cloud. And there was almost pure silence, interrupted only by the faint sound of waves in the background. It was a welcome change from the sirens and alarms of New York. She was pleased she had convinced Danny to leave the windows open during the night. The smell of salt in the air and the light breeze through the curtains was perfection.

At the thought of Danny, she peered over to his location across the room on the cot that had been waiting for them after dinner. It didn't look nearly as comfortable as the bed. She tipped her head to the side as she observed him. She had seen him asleep before in the hospital lounge, but he looked more peaceful here. She was a bit surprised at how well dinner went last night. Danny was oddly charming— telling funny stories, pulling out her chair (seriously?!), and comparing…stuff with Carl (what, she stopped listening when they started talking about Roth IRAs). She had always known that Danny was a great guy and had certainly seen more of that the past few months, but he really seemed to be in his element last night. Maybe he just needed the right crowd to not be so grumpy? She remembered telling him that Eye Patch was wrong about him and just didn't know him well enough. She had believed it when she said it, but recognized it even more now.

She ducked into the bathroom when she noticed Danny beginning to stir. Morning was not a pretty situation for her. Sure, Danny had already seen her at her worst lying on her office floor and that night at her party when she learned Josh had cheated on her. But still, she wanted to look nice before he woke up. She wasn't entirely sure why she cared about what Danny thought about her appearance, but apparently she did. After showering, Mindy threw on her bathing suit and a cover-up that was designed to look like a man's dress shirt. It created an amusing situation when Danny asked her with confusion and sleep still in his eyes why she was wearing his shirt when she emerged from the bathroom. They had agreed last night to meet on the beach for breakfast so Danny threw on his bathing suit (thankfully not a Speedo) and t-shirt and they headed downstairs.

Mindy smiled as she sat in her lounge chair on the beach, digging her toes into the sand. It was already warm outside, though a light breeze blew through her hair. It may sound silly, but she was glad her hair had grown out for this trip. She wore it down and wavy, and had blushed when Danny casually mentioned that he liked it when she wore her hair naturally. They had just finished a delicious breakfast of yogurt, fresh fruit, and eggs. _And_, it was served to them at as they sat on the beach on this raised platform filled with soft cushions and surrounded by thin and airy curtains for privacy. She was amazed at how well-rested Carl appeared at breakfast. The man worked hard and his face normally showed it.

From her spot on the beach, she watched Gwen peel off her dress to reveal a string bikini underneath. It was still hard for her to believe that this woman was once pregnant. Gwen was one of those annoying women who left the hospital practically at her pre-pregnancy size. Mindy was certain she would gain like a 100 pounds and then squeeze out a 6 pound baby when she became a mother. Mindy glanced around the sand and noticed that practically all the women had Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition bodies. _Great, just what I need._

Mindy considered herself a pretty confident person and never let her fluctuating between chubby and curvy size stop her from rocking fabulous outfits. However, her Achilles heel was bathing suits. She wore a new bikini that she bought during the week. It was maroon and white polka dots and though it was a bikini, it had good coverage. She spent more than she usually would but she was going on vacation and she felt like it flattered her figure when she tried it on. Now, though, she just found herself feeling self-conscious.

Gwen and Carl had already made it down to the water's edge and she realized Danny was standing and removing his shirt, looking at her questioningly.

"I think I'm just going to hang back here."

"Are you crazy? The water looks perfect. Besides, you've been talking about this since we got off the plane. Actually, since we got _on_ the plane."

"I know," she responded. "I just don't feel comfortable."

"Comfortable?"

"Look around, Danny. Actually I'm sure you've noticed already. This beach is like filled with models."

Danny sighed deeply and ran his hands across his face. He pulled her to her feet but didn't drag her toward the water as she had expected. Instead he gently unbuttoned the top button to her cover-up.

"You, Mindy Lahiri, are one of the most confident people I know."

Mindy looked at him suspiciously. "What are you doing, Danny?"

He had moved to the second button already, but held her gaze with his eyes. "And it's simply ridiculous that you would not swim in this amazingly crystal-blue water just because of something so silly as how other people look on this beach."

Third button. Mindy inhaled sharply as Danny grazed the skin just below the top of her bikini and hoped he didn't notice the effect on her.

"So, really, you should reconsider because I was really looking forward to swimming with you."

As Danny moved to the fourth button, Mindy thought about looking away but she couldn't. Had Danny's eyes always been this smoldering? She wasn't sure what was happening here or how she felt about it. It certainly wasn't unpleasant…it was actually kind-of _sensual_. Danny Castellano was undressing her on a public beach. Granted, she was wearing something underneath but it all felt kind-of _hot_.

Mindy was jarred back to the moment as Danny reached the last button. He had managed to unbutton her entire shirt while never breaking eye contact. He stepped back and looked her up-and-down, though to his credit, it seemed to be an unconscious urge.

"And besides, I happen to think you look damn sexy." OK, maybe not as unconscious as she had thought…

Mindy narrowed her eyes at him, though not necessarily in a displeased way. She reached up to remove the garment from her shoulders and took a few confident steps forward before looking back to ask Danny if he was coming. And yea, he was totally checking out her ass. She added a little bounce to her step and swing to her hips. She might as well help him enjoy the view…


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait, folks. This one pretty much picks up right where Chapter 3 ends...**

Chapter 4:

As expected, Mindy had a glorious time in the water. The temperature was perfect and the setting was incredibly serene. She floated on her back for what seemed like hours. She was interrupted briefly when Danny stealthily swam up to her and pulled her under the water. She sputtered when she rose to the surface, prepared to unleash a healthy dose of righteous indignation but his face had taken on this childlike glow which she had never seen before. Like the mother of a naughty child, she couldn't quite yell at him. She tried of course, but her tone took on an air of amusement which was not intended. She swatted at him and found that she allowed her hand to linger on his chest just a moment longer than necessary.

They all spent the afternoon apart. Mindy went to the sauna with Gwen, while Carl played a round of golf with a threesome seeking a fourth. Danny wandered off to some mysterious place and it wasn't until the evening after her pre-dinner shower when Danny responded to her request to hand her the blow dryer that she noticed where he must have been.

"Dude, you totally got a manicure!"

"I did not!"

Mindy lifted an eyebrow. It was all the statement she needed to make to express her disbelief.

"Fine, technically I did. But it was called a gentleman's manicure and there was absolutely no nail polish. We each get two free spa treatments with the hotel package and they talked me into it."

Danny plopped down on the bed with a mixture of shame, regret, and a touch of anger.

"Danny, relax! Sure, women tend to be the ones to get manicures, but hand care and maintenance is for everyone. Besides, now your hands are probably a lot softer...and that doesn't make them any less masculine."

"Yea?" he questioned hopefully.

"Totally, give me your hand." Mindy grasped his hand and for a brief second her mind fleeted back to that plane ride home from Santa Fe. But, enough about that she chastised herself, Danny needs some reassurance right now.

"See, very strong and firm, but now they're soft too. Trust me, girls _love_ soft hands on a man."

"Really," Danny asked suspiciously, clearly assuming she was just trying to make him feel better.

"Totally. I mean don't get me wrong, rough hands are OK at times, but I'll tell you a secret. I personally prefer to be touched by soft hands...you know lightly running across my back or up my legs or running through my hair or...other places. For the record, your hands were perfectly acceptable for that brief time that you were sort-of my gynecologist. But they're definitely better now."

She didn't quite seem to notice the way she was absent-mindedly drawing circles with her fingers on his hand as she said all of this.

"Good to know," Danny choked out in response.

Mindy was pulled from her daydream by Danny's words and noticed that the expression on Danny's face was a little pained. And she was apparently still holding his hand. What on earth was going on with him…oh, he wasn't in pain. Danny Castellano was totally turned on! _And_ trying to hide it! God, what had she been saying to him? Oh yea, that she liked being touched in lots of intimate places by soft hands and that one time he professionally caressed her breasts was totally adequate. Yea, that would probably do it…

Mindy's eyes caught Danny's eyes for a brief second. His stare could be so _intense_ sometimes. And right now, there was definitely something akin to desire there, which caused her stomach to flip. She released her hold on Danny's hand, denying to herself that she was a bit reluctant to give it up. To avoid the awkwardness, she picked up the hair dryer and turned it on. But then she saw something that simply didn't leave her any choice but to yell over the noise.

"Oh my God, you got a pedicure too!"

Danny threw himself (with dramatic flair that could rival her sessions on her office floor, she would add) face-down on the bed and groaned unintelligibly into the pillow.

An hour later and Mindy's promise to never mention the nail situation to Jeremy Reed ever or may Brad dump Angelina, they headed down to dinner. They had opted for the elegant dining room tonight and it was exquisite. Danny wore a suit and Mindy had already told him twice how good he looked. He appeared embarrassed the first time, but winked at her the second time, clearly having recovered from her accidental seduction on him earlier in the evening. Mindy wore a knee-length lavender halter-neck dress with her hair up and couldn't help but notice the way that Danny's fingers grazed her back as he stood close to her in the elevator and lingered against her wrist as he touched her arm to gesture for her to go ahead in front of him as they were shown their table. In fact, he seemed to be taking any and all opportunities to touch her this evening and she couldn't help but wonder if it was intentional after their earlier conversation. At the same time, he didn't quite seem to even notice he was doing it.

He did it again when they got to the table, but this time his fingertips grazed the back of her neck as he bent down to push in her chair as she sat to join Gwen and Carl who were already seated. She shivered at the sensation of his hand on this particularly sensitive part of her body and she wasn't sure if he noticed. She perceived the most subtle twinkle in his eye, but it was for so brief of a time that she could have been imagining it.

The dinner conversation naturally turned to the beauty of their vacation setting.

"You know, this is exactly the type of place we wanted to be married," Gwen commented.

"So why didn't you?," Danny asked.

Carl snorted. "Because weddings are more about the families that the couple?"

Gwen clarified, "Between his parents and my parents, we ended up with the traditional church wedding with everyone we knew and their mother invited."

"It was huge," Mindy admitted.

"At the end of the day, we really just wanted to marry each other with our toes in the sand and a couple of witnesses."

"Well, it's never too late," Danny off-handedly said.

"Oh my God, Danny! That's brilliant. Gwen and Carl should totally renew their vows here this week."

"Boy, I am a genius. I'm glad I came up with that idea."

"Oh shut up, you know you were thinking something similar."

"That would be amazing," Gwen said.

"I don't see a reason not to," Carl added.

And so it was settled. Gwen and Carl would make arrangements to renew their vows on the beach with Mindy and Danny as witnesses. Oddly, Danny seemed strangely comfortable with all of this given his own marriage's demise, asking the waiter for paper and a pen to jot down notes as Carl and Gwen started listing out everything they wanted and who they would have to talk to in order to get it. Mindy sighed and began to daydream. She found herself wondering what it would have been like if she had known Danny at Gwen and Carl's first wedding. When she first met him when she was hired at Schulman & Associates, she definitely could not have predicted that he would end up being her date for Gwen and Carl's vow renewal. _ Woah, wait a second. Date? Where did that come from?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! I totally thought I had posted Chapter 5 already, but when I went to upload Chapter 6 to the website, I realized that either I can't count or I had missed something along the way. I'm glad I noticed or you would have been confused. This is a shorter one (~1000 words), but Chapter 6 is over 2,000 words and ready to go so if the reviews keep coming in, you'll get another update soon!**

_Chapter 5:_

Mindy got a little tipsy at dinner. OK, maybe more than tipsy. Fine, she was drunk. It's not her fault that she and Gwen got so caught up in telling college stories that Carl issued a bet that they would have to take a tequila shot every time they mentioned someone using a ridiculous name like Hot Bagel Guy or Guy Who Walked Around Backwards. Danny finally cut her off, recognizing that it might not exactly be his place to do so but a hung-over Mindy was not a fun experience.

"But whyyy, Danny?"

"Because I don't want to see your dinner again tonight?"

"Gross."

"Less gross to say it than it actually happening."

"OK, good point, you win."

Gwen, also a little drunk herself, had to have her input. "You two are cute!"

Luckily for Gwen, Mindy's defenses were a bit down and she didn't perceive the obvious implication of the statement.

"It's true. We are freaking adorable human beings," she responded, leaning against Danny and petting his arm repeatedly. Mindy tended to get a little touchy-feely when she had been drinking.

Carl, feeling a bit sheepish about his role in the situation, interrupted Mindy's soliloquy on adorableness-squared. "Time for bed?"

"I think so," Danny agreed, pulling Mindy to a standing position. She didn't protest, yawning and leaning against him. She was fine walking on her own, though a little wobbly, but had linked her arm with his and leaned her head against his shoulder. He was unsure for a moment. It reminded him of the plane when he looked at their entwined hands, unsure of what he was even seeing before his own eyes. He recovered enough to turn back and give a wave to Gwen and Carl before returning his attentions to Mindy.

Neither Mindy nor Danny noticed Gwen smiling and giving Carl a sly look back at the table. She had managed to sober up strikingly well in just a couple of minutes

"They really are cute together," she commented wistfully.

"I can't believe I let you rope me into this."

"What? Relax. Danny's too much of a gentleman to take advantage of a drunk girl. I just figured getting some loose lips and hands on Mindy might give him a little encouragement. After all, drunken words are sober thoughts!"

Meanwhile, in the elevator, Mindy looked up from her spot basically cuddled into Danny's side.

"You are awesomely awesome, Daniel. Seriously you are."

Danny chuckled. "I'm pretty sure everyone and everything would be awesome to you right now."

"No," she answered, putting a serious expression on her face that frankly would be hard to take seriously. "Look at my face. I am serious as a heart attack. Danny Castellano is awesome."

"OK, he's awesome. And we're here."

"The room is spinning a little," she announced as they entered the hotel room and she threw herself onto Danny's cot. "Ow! Danny, there's a bar right up the middle of this thing. Doesn't it hurt to sleep on?"

"Well, it's not great."

"OK, it's fine. We can totally share."

"Um, that's a negative."

"Come on, Danny."

"Tell you what, Min. If you still feel that way tomorrow when you're sober, I'll be more than happy to sleep up there with you."

"Okee-dokee-karaoke, Dr. Castellano."

"Wow, let's get you some water and pre-emptive Advil."

"Nope, can't move."

"Come on up," Danny said pulling Mindy to her feet. "Time for bed."

"You're a good taker-carer, you know? Remember Josh? He was terrible. I was sick this one time and he couldn't even get me a bucket. He just left. Of course, now I that I think about it, he probably had to meet his dealer."

Mindy had reached the bed and quickly pulled her dress over her head.

"Woah," Danny said spinning around. "Why are you always doing that in front of me?"

"Twice, Danny. Twice. Relax, I've got a shirt on now."

Danny slowly turned back around, but the situation hadn't improved much, at least in terms of his mind remaining in platonic territory. Mindy had apparently grabbed the closest shirt she could find, which was the grey t-shirt he had worn for just an hour earlier in the way between the beach and dinner.

"That's my shirt."

"Are you using it?"

"No," Danny said, his throat a bit tight. "But it's mine."

"Did Danny never learn to share in kindergarten," Mindy asked before busting into the hysterical laughter only found amongst the truly intoxicated.

Danny stepped close, definitely into her personal space, to the degree that despite the alcohol running through her veins, she could recognize a rise in temperature in the room.

"Mindy, I am only saying this because I know you won't remember this tomorrow, but as far as I'm concerned, you can wear that shirt all the time."

He brushed his hands against her hands, which were down by her side, for a brief moment before he released them, his fingers lightly skimming past the bottom of the shirt to brush slightly against the skin of her thigh.

It was Mindy's turn to swallow deeply before speaking again though she didn't intend for her words to come out in a whisper like they did. "It smells like you."

Something flashed in Danny's eyes and he leaned forward slightly but then closed his eyes and stepped back, reminding himself that Mindy was drunk and he was not that guy.

In silence, Danny stepped back and headed into the bathroom. Mindy was sleepy and settled into the bed. She realized that she likely wouldn't remember too many specifics about the evening, but a part of her hope that the last few minutes would remain in her mind. She didn't have the cognitive capacity at the moment to interpret the meaning behind wanting to remember the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6:_

The next morning came quickly. Danny barely slept, wondering if Mindy would remember what had happened the previous evening. His fears were alleviated when she asked him with confusion as he exited the shower and she was still in bed why she was wearing his shirt. She didn't seem concerned at all, just curious, and easily accepted his explanation that she was drunk and pulled on the first shirt she saw, which happened to be the truth, with just a few omissions. She noticed the empty glass next to the bed and thanked him, claiming that the hydration mostly staved off a hang-over, though Danny was a little suspicious of this statement because she didn't look in the best condition. For this reason, Danny asked her if they could relax today by sitting on the beach, rather than snorkeling or parasailing as they had discussed the day before. Mindy was internally thrilled given that she didn't feel so great, but externally just offered nonchalant agreement.

Later that day, Mindy yawned from her lounge chair, glancing at Danny out of the corner of her eye.

"I can't believe you brought _work_ on vacation."

"Hey, you_ like_ the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology!"

"Yes, but at least I know that you are supposed to read for pleasure on vacation."

Danny shrugged and continued to read his article. Mindy closed her book and examined him.

"You know, you're kind of like Mr. Darcy," she commented gesturing to her book.

"How so," he questioned, closing his own reading material.

"Well he comes across as kind-of grumpy and superior, but he's secretly this totally awesome guy who does really nice things for the people he cares about."

"OK, I'll take that. Who else is in this book?"

"Well the heroine is Elizabeth Bennett. She's opinionated and loud and spunky.

"So, like you?"

"Well actually, yea, I guess. Hm, Jeremy would totally be the devious Mr. Wickham. Oh, and Gwen is my sister Jane! Carl isn't really Mr. Bingley in terms of personality, but he is from a wealthy family and his sister wasn't a huge fan of Gwen when they got engaged. I guess Betsy could pull off Georgiana Darcy..."

"My wife?"

"Sister. Morgan isn't really like Mr. Collins in general, but he does hit on me sometimes in his own odd way."

Danny looked a little peeved and asked a little more loudly than necessary, "Morgan hits on you?"

"Sometimes. It's kind of weird, but I guess I'm fine with it."

"Well, you can't date him. You're technically one of his bosses."

"Wasn't planning on it, dude…"

"OK, I was just making sure you knew," Danny responded, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

"Anyyyyyway, so the book is all about like marriage in olden times and stuff. Mr. Darcy, who by the way is played phenomenally by Colin Firth in the excellent BBC miniseries, proposes to Elizabeth, but she rejects him at first."

"Ouch."

"Well, it's a pretty terrible proposal. It's almost as bad as Mr. Collins. And she thinks Darcy is the bad guy who injured poor Mr. Wickham, but it ends up that it's all a big lie."

"So she rejects Darcy. Does she pick Mr. Collins then?'

"God, no. Luckily she figures out that Mr. Wickham is a cad and Darcy is the good guy and she accepts his proposal in the end."

"Glad to hear it. Sounds like they lived happily ever after," Danny responded as he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes.

"I can't believe you've never read _Pride & Prejudice_."

Danny didn't respond for a few seconds so Mindy figured he had fallen asleep or not heard her.

"Mindy," he said with a slight smirk on his face with his eyes still closed, "I minored in English in college."

She was confused at first and then the implication sank in. She hit him with her book.

"Ow," he responded without even opening his eyes.

"Jerk."

"Hey, your description was quite enlightening and different from the usual synopsis."

"I hate you."

"Actually, Miss Bennett", he answered opening his eyes to look at her. "I'm pretty sure you love me."

Mindy knew he was kidding around, but the moment felt charged anyway. Danny's face could say so much and so little at the same time. It was the same way he looked at her in the hospital lounge that night she had tried so hard to deny, minimize, and forget. She felt like she should know what he was thinking because his face looked so open in those moments, but it was so hard to read his mind the way she wished she could. Their eyes connected and an electric current pulsed between them. All of these moments kept happening with Danny where it felt like all the energy in the universe would suddenly shift, but then it would settle as quickly as it came, back to homeostasis. She knew that this moment would vanish in an instant, just as all the others before it had. And yet, for a split second, there was a part of her that wanted to hold onto it as long as possible.

"You, sir, are no Mr. Darcy," she announced, rising from her seat in dramatic fashion and flouncing away. She could feel Danny laughing from behind her. And as expected the energy shifted back to normal and the moment vanished as quickly as they had all before.

Later that evening, Mindy and Danny joined Carl and Gwen at the luau hosted by the resort. The warmth of the day had melted away into the perfect temperature with a cool breeze. They were all greeted at the entrance of the outdoor pavilion with leis. The men had both opted for khaki shorts and collared shirts, while Gwen wore a patterned maxi dress and Mindy wore a short, orange halter dress.

"Isn't this amazing, Danny," Mindy said dreamily as they listened to the steel drums and observed the waves in the distance. "Can you believe that we would normally be working this week? I mean I love what we do, but this is seriously awesome."

"It really is. Thanks for inviting me."

Mindy looked up at him and smiled. "I'm really glad I did."

They held the glance for just a moment longer than necessary but then Gwen interrupted by handing them colorful drinks with tiny umbrellas. Danny looked suspiciously at his drink.

"Oh come on, Danny. Cute umbrellas will not kill you."

"I suppose," Danny said removing his umbrella from his drink. "But I think it looks much better here," he commented as pushed Mindy's hair behind her right ear and tucked the umbrella there.

Unnoticed by them, Gwen glanced up at her husband as a smile grew on her face. Carl rolled his eyes at his wife's look that was clearly meant to communicate in no uncertain terms 'oh this is so on.'

A few minutes later, they were all approached by a man, who was immediately noticed because frankly he was really good-looking. He introduced himself as Paolo, a surfing instructor at the resort who was enjoying the luau on his evening off. He extended a hand and asked Mindy to dance. She immediately glanced over at Danny and had she thought about it, she probably would have realized that it was an odd reaction for her to look at a guy she was not dating when another guy asked her to dance. Although he seemed to be looking down at his drink with no noticeable reaction, if she had looked closer, she might have seen a muscle tick in his jaw.

"Um, sure," Mindy responded as she allowed herself to be lead to the dance floor.

Not only was Paolo incredibly attractive, he was also an excellent dancer. But as much as Mindy knew that she should be enjoying herself, she kept getting distracted and found herself glancing back toward her friends. She couldn't help but notice that Danny didn't look happy and felt selfish for being a little pleased at what she assumed was his reaction to her current dancing situation. But then her thoughts ran the opposite direction as she began to doubt that Danny's emotional state would ever have anything to do with her and who she may or may not be dancing with.

Meanwhile, Danny had become a bit silent, contributing only in minor ways to the conversation with Gwen and Carl back at the tall table around which they stood. Gwen gave Carl a signal with her eyes and he excused himself to the bathroom. Gwen sat with the silence briefly before getting Danny's attention.

"You know, she's not enjoying herself."

"Huh?", Danny questioned.

"Mindy. She's not having fun with him."

"Yea, I'm sure," he responded a bit sarcastically.

"She keeps glancing at us. Maybe she's trying to give us a signal that she needs to be rescued?"

"Oh, you think? I hadn't noticed that," Danny said with concern. "Should I go out there to check…or would that be weird?"

"No, that's a great idea!"

"OK," he said, putting his drink down with forcefulness. He walked out to the dance floor with strong and intentional strides, but hesitated when he got near to the dancing couple. He paused for a moment, wondering if this was a stupid idea, but then Mindy glanced at him and the smile on her face convinced him that she would not mind if he interrupted.

"Mind if I cut in?", he asked and Paolo put up his hands and stepped away.

Danny shifted awkwardly. "I'm sorry. I don't know if that was overstepping but Gwen thought maybe he was bugging you or something."

"Danny, it's totally fine. I mean he wasn't bugging me..."

"Oh," Danny interrupted. "I'm sorry; we must have misread the situation. I can go get him." He began to turn in the direction that Paolo had left.

Mindy grabbed his hands. "You didn't let me finish. He wasn't bugging me, but I'm glad you're here."

"Oh. Well, okay then. So, um, do you want to dance?"

"Sure," Mindy said, smiling a bit shyly, which made Danny smile in response.

As they began to dance, neither one noticed Gwen at the corner of the dance floor, slipping a twenty dollar bill to Paolo.

The night ran late and they finally got back to their hotel room around 2:00 AM, though Mindy had stopped at two drinks, attempting to avoid a repeat of the previous evening. She told Danny to get ready for bed first so she could check messages on her phone and by the time she was finished with her bedtime routine, he was already on his cot. She had decided to wear her matching satin shorts and tank-top and observed Danny noticing her attire approvingly out of the corner of her eye. A few minutes after she settled under the covers and turned off the light, she heard the noise of Danny flipping over and a memory sprung to mind.

"Your cot is uncomfortable."

"Huh," Danny responded.

"I just remembered laying on your cot last night and it's really uncomfortable. You can sleep up here."

"Are you sure?'

"It's fine," she said and Danny got up from the cot and made his way to the right side of the bed as she moved from the center to the left side. The bed shifted as he slid under the covers.

"Good night," she said, hating that her voice came out higher and squeakier than usual.

"Thanks, you too."

Mindy fell asleep quickly, but awoke in the early morning hour as the sun was rising and beginning to bring light into the room. She turned and found herself closer to Danny than she had realized. He was sleeping peacefully on his back with the arm closest to her thrown above his head. The covers were only on the lower portion of his body and his gray t-shirt had ridden up a little on his stomach because of the position of his arm. She couldn't help but notice his bicep muscle that was currently alongside his face. His face was relaxed and turned slightly in her direction and he breathed deeply as he slept. She realized that it was probably weird that she kept watching him, but she had become a little mesmerized by the rise and fall of his chest and stomach. She was not usually a fan of hairy man armpits, because _gross_, but she weirdly found herself wondering what it might be like to move a little closer and fit herself into the crook Danny had inadvertently created with his body. She shook her head rapidly and forced herself to look away and close her eyes, eventually succumbing to sleep again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Wow, it's been so long that even ****_I _****had to re-read my last chapter to figure out where in the story we were. ;-)**

_Chapter 7:_

Mindy slept for a few more hours before waking again. As she gained consciousness, she took note of her position in bed. Although there was still a modest distance between her and Danny, they each seemed to have shifted closer to the middle of the king-sized bed. Danny's arm was outstretched across his pillow and a little bit onto hers so that his fingers tangled slightly in her hair. She was in the fetal position, facing away from Danny, but one foot was resting slightly against Danny's calf. A storm was clearly raging outside, based on the gusts of wind and the steady sound of rain pounding against the windows. Mindy loved the rain for the sole fact that it made it feel OK to stay in bed. There was something soothing about the sound of the rain and it was also more socially acceptable to be lazy on a rainy day. Danny stirred behind her and she felt the moment he realized his hand was in her hair. She remained motionless so she imagined he didn't know she was already awake. His hand lingered for a moment and she could swear that she felt his fingers actively running through the strands of her hair when he removed his hand. She made the decision to stir herself to alert him that she was awake and totally not purposefully ran her foot along his leg as she 'awoke.'

"Good morning," Danny said in a creaky voice she had never heard from him before. It felt oddly intimate to hear it because the tone was normally reserved for someone waking up in bed next to someone else, which was technically what they were doing but not in the typical way.

"Morning," she responded as she sat up and ran her hand through her hair, attempting to soften the bird's nest look she was currently rocking. She picked up the phone to call Gwen and Carl to discuss plans for the day but was re-directed to the desk and informed that they were not taking calls this morning. When she told them who she was, they gave her the message from Gwen that the couple decided to spend the day in their hotel room.

"What's going on?"

"Apparently Gwen and Carl are spending the day in their hotel room…I think we can both figure out the rest."

"They've got the right idea."

Mindy's only response was to raise her eyebrow.

"Oh, um, I meant spending the day indoors and relaxing, not you know, the other stuff."

"Hey, it's terrible outside. Let's have a movie marathon day. Ooh and we can order room service!"

"Fine with me."

Danny called for room service with their orders while Mindy headed into the bathroom, which she exited after a few minutes to an incredulous reaction from Danny.

"Wait, did you just change into fresh pajamas?

"Yep, and washed my face and brushed my teeth!"

"Why would you put new clothes on to just lie around in bed?"

"I don't know. I just felt like it."

"Yea, well I'm not changing so if I smell, just sit on the other side of the bed."

Mindy sniffed the air. "Nah, you smell nice."

"Nice? What's nice?"

"I don't know what you smell like. You just smell like Danny."

"This is a weird conversation."

"What do I smell like?"

"I don't typically sniff you."

"Well, take a whiff."

"Seriously? You're making me do this? Do you have like a weird fetish for smells or something?"

"This isn't weird. People look at each other and listen to each other and touch each other all of the time. Why should smelling be any different?"

"People don't walk around licking each other and I don't hear you complaining about that."

"That would be gross. You know, unless you want to be licked by that special someone."

"Wow, OK, come here because I don't think I can keep having this conversation."

Mindy crawled across the bed towards him and Danny tried really hard to banish the whole licking portion of the conversation from his brain.

"Vanilla," he said as if even stating the word greatly pained him, just to make sure she knew just how not interested Danny Castellano was in this weird conversation.

"Aw, that's a good smell!"

"You expected me to say trash?"

"No, but I like vanilla."

As she began to move away, Danny suddenly used his hand to cover her own that was pushing against the bed for leverage to push herself up from the bed. She realized that it was his way of holding her in place for a moment. He leaned toward her which was a little unnerving until she realized his intentions as he leaned so close that her hair grazed his nose.

"And that flower, um, lavender?"

"Oh, that's my shampoo and conditioner," Mindy half-whispered as if it were a secret, feeling a little flushed by the sudden closeness. She jumped as a knock came at the door announcing room service.

"That was quick," Danny said.

Mindy was grateful for the interruption and ushered in the cart and tipped the waiter.

She had ordered an egg-white omelet with turkey bacon in an attempt to be healthy, but had immediate food envy when she saw the French toast and sausage on Danny's plate.

"I'm surprised you're eating that, Danny. I always took you for like a bran cereal breakfast-eater."

"Well this isn't my normal breakfast, but we're on vacation after all."

"Well, it looks delicious. Oh and is that fresh maple syrup?"

"Mindy," Danny said with obvious recognition of her attempts to be coy. "Do you want some?"

"Oh no, I couldn't do that," she demurred.

Danny shook his head, already sliding a slice of French toast onto her plate as she pseudo-protested.

After breakfast, they spent 20 minutes fighting over what to watch before agreeing on the Hunger Games, the Godfather, and the original Karate Kid. It was an odd combination for sure, but a true compromise. Mindy observed Danny as he arranged pillows behind his head and leaned back into the perfect reclining position for watching movies on the television. She wondered to herself how weird it would be to ask Danny to cuddle. Sure, friends don't normally cuddle, but it was a lazy, rainy day and they were going to be watching movies in bed anyway and he looked so comfortable. She glanced up to see Danny looking at her with wide eyes and came to the horrifying realization that all of her thoughts had managed to make it out of her mouth without her consent.

"Oh, wow. Yea, I did not mean to say that. Can we just forget that happened? Because like that would be totally weird."

"OK…," Danny responded, followed by a moment of silence that he eventually filled again. "Or we could."

"Could what?"

"You know, cuddle or something. If you wanted to."

"Oh, um, OK, yea. Let's do that."

And so Mindy leaned against him and rested her head on his chest, hearing the thump of his heart underneath her right ear. Her arm stretched lightly across his stomach and his left arm was positioned such that he began to absent-mindedly play with her hair. Her head was at the perfect spot for him to rest his chin on the crown of her head.

"My hair was pretty terrible, huh?"

"Hmm?"

"Oh, nothing. You just seem to like my hair better when it's longer."

Danny's hand stilled for a moment but then he allowed his fingers to return to their patterns.

"OK, so my gut reaction was to hate it….but I'm sure it really would have grown on me."

A moment of silence ensued as the opening movie credits ran.

"This totally isn't weird," Mindy announced, flushing slightly as she realized that the filter between her brain and mouth remained on the fritz.

She felt a little better when Danny answered, "It totally isn't."


	8. Chapter 8

**It's been awhile again. Sorry for the delay, everyone. I have been having problems with motivation and plot line. I know the ending already but I think I made this vacation too long because I am struggling to have enough material to get there. It's like I'm perpetually stuck on Day 3! Don't worry: I will finish this story!**

_Chapter 8:_

After mutually deciding that cuddling between platonic friends while watching movies was totally normal and appropriate, they spent the next two hours in relative silence. The Hunger Games had clearly been Mindy's choice. Given that it was Danny's first viewing of the film, she naturally wanted to gauge his reaction but also didn't want to move her head from the spot nestled against his chest. She worried to do so would create awkwardness, as if making any shift in position or even breathing would bring awareness that what they were doing wasn't actually normal.

What she didn't realize was that Danny's mind and body were already highly attuned to their physical closeness. Every sensation was heightened for him from the feeling of Mindy's fingers absent-mindedly pulling at the bunched cloth of his t-shirt to the realization that the gentle rise and fall of his chest had come to match the rise and fall of her shoulders around which his arm was wrapped. It took conscious effort for him to make sure that his heart beat maintained at a normal level. As the closing credits began to run, he was surprised that Mindy didn't lift her head or speak.

"Min, are you asleep?"

He regretted speaking as these words broke the comfort and naturalness of their position. Mindy pushed herself off of him and looked away awkwardly as she shifted to sit across from him on the bed. She took a deep breath before rallying into her normal personality.

"OK, Danny, now that the movie has finished, I have a really important question for you. Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale?"

Danny laughed. "Mindy, do you really think I care enough to pick a team? Have we met?"

She rolled her eyes. "God, Danny, can't you ever just play along?"

"Fine, I'm Team Gale."

"Oh…that's too bad…"

"What, did I make the wrong choice?'

"No, you're just going to be sadly disappointed a few sequels from now."

"Don't worry. I have absolutely no plans to watch the sequels."

"It is too bad though. I guess the best friend never gets the girl."

"He doesn't, huh?"

Something flashed in Danny's eyes and Mindy furrowed her forehead in confusion. It felt like this conversation had taken on a different meaning that she had originally intended.

"So, um, should we watch another?", Danny asked, trying to figure out if there was a manly or appropriate way to ask her to scoot closer to him so he could hold her again. He didn't want her to think he was trying to put the moves on her because she clearly viewed them only as friends. In the back of his mind, he knew he wanted more than that with her, a fact which had gotten harder to deny on this vacation. Mindy just nodded so he put on The Karate Kid without asking which movie she wanted to watch next. He sat up straighter this time, leaning his back against the headboard and keeping his arms folded against his body. He caught a glimpse of Mindy in his peripheral vision and noticed she looked sad.

"Are you mad at me, Danny?", she whispered quietly after a few minutes.

He paused the movie as he turned to her with a look of confusion and apology. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. You just sort-of closed off for a few minutes there."

"Yea, I'm sorry, I just stuck up in my head. It has nothing to do with you."

"You sure? You would tell me if you were upset, right?"

"Definitely," he said as he smiled at her. "Trust me; I'm not mad at you."

Mindy's face melted into a smile as reached forward to hug him, squealing, "I'm so glad! I hate it when people are mad at me."

Danny chuckled as he pressed play on the remote and grinned a little to himself when Mindy ducked herself under his arm, forcing it to wrap around her shoulders, and rested her hand lightly on his thigh. Yea, this was totally normal for _friends_.

They only ended up watching the two movies because a call came from Gwen inviting them to dinner. After some good-natured ribbing from Mindy over the phone about what Gwen and Carl did all alone in their room all day, they agreed to meet up for dinner at the resort restaurant given that it was still pouring outside.

They met for a somewhat early dinner at 5:00 PM. After appetizers, Gwen put her fork down and her face became very serious.

"Mindy, I have a very important question for you. Will you be my maid of honor?"

"Of course," Mindy squealed. "I am so honored."

They both jumped to hug each other excitedly.

Danny leaned over to Carl. "Wasn't Mindy her maid of honor at the actual wedding?"

"Yep."

"And she's also the only woman that Gwen knows on this island."

"Yep."

"So who else did she think would be the maid of honor?"

"No idea. Oh by the way, I'm supposed to ask you to be my best man."

"Fine, but I'm not going to hug you."

"Deal."

Meanwhile the women joined the conversation. "Did he ask you?" Gwen questioned Danny.

"Ask him what?" Mindy asked curiously.

"Carl was supposed to ask Danny to be his best man."

"Oh my God, that's so awesome! Danny, aren't you excited?!"

"Enthralled," he responded sarcastically, which clearly missed Mindy's notice.

"I know, right? We totally need to coordinator our outfits. Gwen and I are going shopping tomorrow. You need to come."

"Um, excuse me?"

"We need a man's opinion on her dress and Carl obviously can't be there."

"Don't you think Gwen knows what she likes? And why can't Carl be there? He knows what she looks like. It's not their actual wedding!"

"_Danny_. A vow renewal is very important business and we would _appreciate_ your assistance."

"Oh, fine. I feel like you manage to talk me into the most ridiculous things."

"It's a gift. And you love me."

Mindy blushed slightly at her own choice of words, while Gwen delighted in this and the fact that Danny choked on his sip of water when she spoke those words.

Dinner continued along smoothly despite the uncomfortable moment, but silence settled over Danny and Mindy when they were alone again. They barely spoke as they got ready for bed. And yet when they pulled aside the covers, removed the throw pillows from the bed that had been re-arranged by the maid, and slid under the covers, they looked the picture of a couple. Both of them laid there in silence despite clearly being awake. As compared to earlier in the day, it seemed like an ocean between them. But then Mindy dropped her hand to the bed, accidentally covering Danny's hand which she hadn't realized was resting in the space between them. She began to pull back but Danny quickly grabbed her hand and placed it on top of his own once again. Mindy smiled to herself at the familiarity, sleepily closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9:_

"Up and at'em, Danny! It's a beautiful day and we're going _shopping_!"

Danny opened his eyes groggily to see an excited Mindy standing before him. She took his silence as interest and continued to blabber. "Hm, what exactly does at'em mean anyway? Is that even a real word?"

"Why are you talking? What time is it?"

"Don't be such a crankypants. Besides it's 9:30 AM."

"Seriously? Wow, I never sleep this late."

"I know! I already went for a walk on the beach, showered, and got dressed."

What Mindy didn't tell Danny was that when she awoke at 6 AM to find their fingers still entwined, she was unnerved and couldn't fall back asleep. He looked so freakin' peaceful (and fine, even more attractive than usual) when he was sleeping and that made her oddly uncomfortable. Sure, she was excited about shopping, but at least some of her chattering was coming from a place of nervous energy.

Danny quickly got ready upon hearing the late morning hour and within 45 minutes they were meeting Gwen in the lobby to head to a bridal shop that was recommended by the concierge.

When they arrived, Danny plopped down into a chair in the outside lounge as Gwen and Mindy wandered around the store, ending up with a large pile of dresses, and were escorted to a private dressing room. They got through most of the dresses in 30 minutes and Gwen held her tongue, having noticed a certain vibe between her shopping partners on the way to the store. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Sooo, how are things going with Danny?"

"What is that supposed to mean," Mindy responded suspiciously. "Gwen, have you been up to trouble?"

"Maybe…"

"Well to answer your question, things have been weird with Danny."

"Good weird or bad weird?"

"Good weird…I think…or maybe just weird weird?"

Gwen sighed. "Mindy, you do realize Danny likes you, right?"

"I don't know. Sometimes, it seems like it. But, maybe not."

"Mindy! Seriously, it's practically written on his face."

"I don't know. It's complicated. We're colleagues and friends and I don't have the best track record. So maybe it's easier to just pretend there isn't anything there and keep this friendship."

"But that's just playing it safe and then you end up missing out on something amazing."

Mindy whispered softly, "I know that, Gwen. I know it would be amazing. I just don't know if I'm equipped to handle amazing right now, OK?"

"Sorry, sweetie, I didn't mean to make you upset.'

"It's fine. But, I can't think about this right now. It's too overwhelming."

Gwen shrugged, recognizing her friend was still stuck in denial and fear. "I know there's more to this than you're saying, but I get it if you don't want to talk about it. What do you think of this dress?"

"Oh wow, it's really pretty. Perfect for the beach! Do we even need Danny's opinion?'

"Well you did drag him along for some odd reason that I simply cannot fathom, so we might as well at least pretend to care what he thinks."

"It was nice of Carl to ask Danny to be the best man. I'm sure he was quite moved. Though I suppose his only other option was the bellhop…"

"Yes, we talked about and I wanted the bellhop but it was Carl's pick after all," Gwen said jokingly.

"OK, let's go find Danny. I have to ask him if there is any particular color he is thinking of for his tie, so that I can get a dress in the appropriate matching color palate."

Gwen just lifted an eyebrow in reply.

"Shut up. I hate you. Fine, I like Danny. It doesn't mean I have to do anything about it. God."

"I said nothing."

"You said it with your face," Mindy responded as she stomped out of the dressing room glaring at her best friend of many years in whom she could never stay mad too long.

They decided to be courteous and get Danny's opinion on Gwen's off-white, flowing dress. He offered the appropriate compliments, somewhat aware that his presence wasn't all that needed. But, hey, at least the chair he had been stuck in for the last 40 minutes had been comfortable. He also had ended up reading far too much about some of Mindy's favorite stars in copies of US Weekly that Mindy suspiciously eyed when he dropped them at the last second when the women entered the lobby area. Pleased with his reaction, Gwen headed to the alterations department and Mindy headed back into the waiting room. Danny was encouraged by one of the sales clerks to follow his wife. Mindy was already in the dressing room, but the sales clerk ignored his protests and it felt rude to not sit in the chair she specifically pulled into the area right outside the dressing room. A few minutes passed as he waited in silence and he didn't realize that Mindy mistakenly assumed that it was Gwen that she heard making minor movements outside her room.

"Gwen," Mindy called out to the small waiting area beyond the curtained dressing room. "I need your help."

After a moment of silence, she heard a familiar male voice respond. "I think she's out with the sales clerk. Do you need something?"

"Oh. Um, well, I managed to get this dress zipped up, but I can't twist my arm enough to unzip it."

"Oh, OK. Well, do you want me to wait or do you want me to…"

Danny didn't finish the sentence, but Mindy knew what he was asking. She debated. She could easily just wait but it was kind-of silly to not just have Danny help her. He had seen her practically naked after all during his brief stint as her doctor. She opened the curtain and let him into the room.

"That dress looks great."

"Oh, don't bother. I already decided I don't like this one. It's not my color."

"Too bad. I think it's nice," he said as his fingers grazed her upper back and he slowly pulled the zipper down. The tips of his fingers lightly touched her back as he drew the zipper down, lighting a path of fire on her skin. It was tantalizing and if Mindy didn't know better, she would swear he was doing that on purpose in an attempt to seduce her. After what seemed like centuries, he reached the bottom and pulled away after letting his fingers linger on the small of her back. He knew he was taking liberties that he shouldn't be, but her skin was so soft and smooth.

She turned to face him, clasping the front of the dress against her now that it was loose.

"Thanks, Danny...for helping and saying that. But, I think I already know what I'm getting. I tried on one of the dresses that Gwen was considering before she picked the other one, but I'm getting it in navy blue. So, match your tie accordingly!"

"We have to match?"

"Of course! We comprise the entire wedding party."

"OK, well do I get to see this dress?"

"Not until the wedding!"

"I'm pretty sure it's the groom who isn't supposed to see the bride, not the wedding party."

"Too bad."

"Just as well. You might as well take my breath away somewhere better than a dressing room."

Mindy's lips pursued a little at his flirtation. "And just how exactly do you know I'm going to take your breath away?"

Danny pushed aside the curtain as he began to walk out, pausing to look her in the eye as he declared with a wink, "Because you always do."


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10:_

It was sunset on their sixth evening there when Gwen and Carl pledged their love to each other on the sands of the beach. Mindy couldn't believe it had been so long since Gwen's first wedding. If she were honest with herself, she had always figured she would have her own husband by now. _Instead, I have Danny. _The thought caught her by surprise. She didn't _have_ Danny after all. He was just her friend.

Mindy had insisted that Gwen get ready in her room and forced Danny to get ready with Carl because it was imperative that the groom not see the bride before the wedding. Also, she secretly wanted to see the look in Danny's eyes as she walked across the sand toward him, which was ridiculous of course because it's not like her and Danny were involved or anything.

And so now, as she walked across the sand distracted by thoughts of Gwen's first wedding, she was surprised when she looked up just before reaching the men and the officiant. Danny was staring at her intensely but also looked openly happy, which was so unlike the surly looks or smirks that he often gave back at home. She leaned to give Carl a hug and wish him luck and Danny caught her before she could step the side where Gwen would join her. He leaned down and whispered close to her ear, his warm breath caressing her cheek and ear. "You look beautiful, Mindy." Her breath caught in her throat but she didn't have time to pause in her movements because she saw Carl smile as Gwen began to walk down the same path she had just created. She paid close attention to the ceremony, which was quite lovely and intimate. She couldn't help but throw a few furtive glances in Danny's direction throughout the ceremony but would avert her eyes every time he glanced back at her. Nothing weird had happened, but it felt oddly awkward to stand across from him. After the vows, Carl and Gwen were pulled aside for some photographs so Danny and Mindy decided to take a walk down by the water.

They walked in silence for a while, though the awkwardness had melted away almost immediately. Mindy had pulled her heels off, leaning a hand on Danny's arm so she could reach down without falling. At her insistence, he pulled off his shoes to go barefoot as well though abandoned them behind, unlike Mindy who declared that there was no way she was leaving behind her own expensive shoes. They walked slowly so they didn't really travel far, Mindy dragging her toes to make patterns in the sand as her heels dangled from her fingers by their straps. At one point, a rough wave hurtled quickly towards the sand. Danny pulled Mindy gently by the elbow, so that instead of the wave crashing into her, her body crashed into his. She extricated her limbs from his slowly, a blush and a slight smile on her face. She stepped back, continuing to create lines in the sad with her toes. They remained still in that spot, seemingly coming to an unspoken decision to halt their walk. She looked up and noticed Danny glancing at Gwen and Carl in the distance. She broke the silence.

"It's nice to actually be there for her this time."

"I thought you were her maid of honor at their wedding."

"I was, but honestly I wasn't totally there in spirit. I mean she had no idea because I hid it well, but I had some selfish reactions to the wedding. The plan was for the two of us to move to the city and be fun single girls in our twenties. She met Carl less than two months after we moved and it sort-of felt like she bailed on the plan. I know that's ridiculous and I knew it then too. It wasn't about me. She found the person she loved so of course she married him. But it was hard for me to really be into the wedding. I went to the dress selection and laughed at the toasts and stood by her side, but part of me hated being there. That's terrible isn't it?"

"Nah, it's not terrible. I guess maybe it's just human. I get it, though. Sometimes we think we have this agreement and then the other person just violates it. It's not like you did anything to act out against Gwen and Carl. It's tough even when it's for good reasons."

"And especially when it's not for good reasons," Mindy responding, knowing that there were aspects of this that probably reminded Danny of his ex-wife.

"Then too, but then sometimes we end up being really glad that the plan didn't go our way because you know, it just means we come move on and be where we're supposed to be."

"It's true. I mean, Carl is great and they created Riley together. And now it's almost 10 years later and I feel like today I feel the happiness I should have felt for them at their first wedding."

"And that's what matters today, right?"

"Yes, as always, you're right."

"As always, huh," Danny responded with a smirk. "Glad to know you're coming around to my way of thinking."

Mindy bumped her shoulder into his arm. "Relax there, buddy. It's a figure of speech."

They gazed out at the water and had a comfortable pause in conversation. Mindy found that silences with Danny never really felt awkward. It was almost like they were still in the ebbs and flows of conversation, even if no one was saying anything.

"Do you want to dance?"

Mindy looked up with surprise at Danny's earnest face and simply nodded as he took her hand. There was really no need. It's not as if there was a dance floor. It was just Gwen and Carl swaying 50 feet away to the sounds of the ocean and the distant beating of drums at a luau down the beach, lost in their own world. It made sense for them to dance, a symbol of their mad devotion as they renewed their vows, but there was honestly no reason for Danny and Mindy to dance other than desire.

They walked along the beach, holding hands, until Danny stopped at an arbitrary spot and pulled Mindy close, one hand wrapped possessively on the small of her back and the other holding her hand in his own against his chest. They didn't look at each other as they swayed ever-so-slightly to the sounds of nature. Mindy could feel the heat from Danny across her front in contrast to the light breeze blowing against her back. Danny's swallow caught in his throat as Mindy looked into his eyes. He reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind Mindy's ear, maintaining eye contact the whole time. Mindy felt like her body was on edge, just waiting for something to happen. They had been here before. The look that Danny was giving her as his eyes flitted between her eyes and her lips was entirely familiar. And it was freaking her out that she wanted him to look at her that way. She looked down as she cleared her throat and the moment was broken. A look of faint disappointment appeared in Danny's eyes but quickly faded away as she leaned in closer to rest her cheek against his shoulder. This seemed to be all she could handle at the moment and that was enough for Danny…for now.

Mindy slept soundly that night. After their impromptu slow dance on the beach, she and Danny attended the resort's luau before turning in early for the evening. As they lay in bed, there were fireworks going off in the distance. Just before she drifted off the sleep, she felt Danny shift closer to her in bed.

"Thanks for inviting me, Mindy. This experience has been truly amazing."

She sighed in response and added a few nonsensical syllables, barely able to form words in her sleepy state. Just as she succumbed to slumber, she felt Danny lean close and brush her hair away from her hair, placing a light kiss on the very edge of her cheek, really more like her neck. She sighed again, this time out of pure bliss.


End file.
